Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont last week urged investments for the New Haven Line, which he said is the busiest commuter rail line in the United States.
The line, he said, has failed to keep up with the times, and is now outpaced by rail lines all over the world which have utilized technology improvements to upgrade speed and safety. Meanwhile, the New Haven faces aging tracks and bridges, forcing it to go even slower than it moved decades ago. This is in spite of the fact that the New Haven, at its 2016 peak, made 40.5 million passenger trips. It runs from New Haven, Connecticut, to New York City.
“The New Haven Line is a gem of a resource that hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents depend on for their livelihoods, and for the sake of our economy we cannot let it fall into a state of disrepair,” Lamont said. “Our aging infrastructure is slowing our state’s transportation system down and causing significant congestion – and it’s impacting us economically. Connecticut residents spend 81,845 hours stuck in traffic annually. This damages our reputation and impacts the decisions businesses make when they are considering locations for growth. In order to get Connecticut growing again, we need to get Connecticut moving again.”
This is not to say the rail has not had its share of investments. Over the past 10 years, Connecticut has investment millions into the line, including a nearly $500 million power line replacement program, platform upgrades and the replacement of decades-old railcars with 400 M8 railcars.
The governor’s call for investment comes as the state struggles to decide on how best to support its transportation system, which analysts warn could become insolvent in the coming years.